Camp Geneva names Kevin VanderKlok new director

Wednesday

Apr 30, 2014 at 4:42 PMApr 30, 2014 at 4:42 PM

By Lisa.Ermak@hollandsentinel.com (616) 546-4219

Becoming the new executive director at Holland’s Geneva Camp and Retreat Center wasn’t a goal Kevin VanderKlok set out to accomplish, but one he said gladly accepts.“I wanted to do whatever the ministry wanted me to do. It happened naturally, I suppose,” VanderKlok said said of the promotion, which was publicly announced Wednesday. “To be able to steward this great resource is just a tremendous honor.”VanderKolk was appointed to the new position by the Board of Directors after Blaine Newhouse stepped down from the role in November.For the past eight years, VanderKlok, a Kalamazoo native and Grand Valley State University alumnus served as director of development and marketing for the Christian summer camp. In that role, he developed a comprehensive marketing and public relations strategy, built community relationships, developed new events and programs and played a significant role in fundraising for the camp.Board Chair Jim Meyer said a search committee comprised of board and community members reviewed more than 50 applicants from across the country, many of whom were very qualified for the role, but ended up making a unanimous recommendation to the board that VanderKlok would be the best fit for the job.VanderKlok’s involvement with Geneva began when he was a camper in his youth.“I was a camper as a child here and all the way through my high school years and then in college, the summer between my sophomore and junior year, I was accepted to be a camp counselor here,” VanderKlok said. “I was just so impacted by the campers and my faith grew so much that I developed a really strong passion for the mission of Geneva.”Following college graduation, VanderKlok worked in sales at Steelcase and was quickly selected as a potential management leader. During his time at Steelcase, he continued to return to Geneva for a week each summer as a volunteer chaplain.In a news release, Meyer said the board is confident that under VanderKlok’s leadership, the core mission critical to Geneva’s ministry will be retained and new opportunities will be explored, enabling Geneva to grow.— Follow this reporter on Twitter @SentinelLisa.

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